Beyond Meat opens second Missouri facility to fuel plant-based demand

US plant-based meat firm Beyond Meat has tripled its manufacturing footprint from 30,000 to 100,000 sq ft by opening a second production facility in Missouri.

Located in Columbia, the new facility will support the firm’s growing demand for products such as The Beyond Burger and Beyond Sausage, as well as enabling to produce NPD.

The facility will generate more than 250 new jobs throughout 2018 and furthers Missouri’s position in the production of plant-based meat, according to CEO Ethan Brown.

The facility will also improve sustainability at the business, which will include high efficiency lighting and new water recirculation systems that will reduce consumption by nearly 80%.

We first came to Missouri in 2009 to access the outstanding research being conducted at the University of Missouri,” said Brown. “We have been investing in, and growing together with, Columbia, ever since, and I'm pleased to announce this latest manufacturing investment, our largest to date.”

Beyond Meat’s existing Missouri facility has more than 200 employees.

Beyond Meat has become one of the more reputable plant-based businesses in the US and continues to grow on a global scale.

The firm recently announced its global expansion plans to enter more than 50 countries across every continent.

The firm has also entered the UK market after securing a distribution deal with frozen food supplier The Authentic Food Co to stock its Beyond Burger into UK supermarkets.

Since launching in Los Angeles in 2016, the business has sold more than 13 million of its plant-based patties, which can be found in almost 15,000 restaurants and grocery stores across the US.